Chaff, originally called Window by the British and Düppel by the Second World War era German Luftwaffe (from the Berlin suburb where it was first developed), is a radar countermeasure in which aircraft or other targets spread a cloud of small, thin pieces of aluminium, metallized glass fibre or plastic, which either appears as a cluster of primary targets on radar screens or swamps the screen with multiple returns.
Modern armed forces use chaff (in naval applications, for instance, using short-range SRBOC rockets) to distract radar-guided missiles from their targets. Most military aircraft and warships have chaff dispensing systems for self-defense. An intercontinental ballistic missile may release in its midcourse phase several independent warheads as well as penetration aids such as decoy balloons and chaff. Aircraft chaff deployers are well known in previous art. Aircraft chaff deployers are utilized to disperse a large cloud of metallic chaff to confuse enemy radar systems.
Previous single payload systems include AN/ALE-29, AN/ALE-40, M130, AN/ALE-47 including the Navy version of the AN/ALE-47. The AN/ALE-47 is a countermeasure dispensing system which is used by all three services, the Army, Air Force, and the Navy. It is a replacement for the Army's M-130, the Air Force's AN/ALE-40, and the Navy's AN/ALE-29/39. These countermeasures systems have been used on, but not limited to the F-4, F-14, F-15, F-16, A-10, F-18 and C-130 aircraft as well as Army and Marine helicopters.
Over the years, as many as 3 billion chaff system cartridges have been installed and operated on military aircraft, not only in the United States but throughout the world. The systems that provide the chaff functionality consistent with the present disclosure, or unquestionably ubiquitous on military aircraft throughout the world. This includes jet aircraft, Single engine aircraft, helicopter aircraft, and other military aircraft where survival of the crew and the air craft may be threatened in a hostile environment.
The effectiveness of a chaff system on a military aircraft, can frequently be a life or death capability, as when deployed when pursued by an enemy missile or aircraft. Accordingly, it is absolutely essential that the systems operate for maximum possible reliability. With the enhanced capabilities of improved electromagnetic radiation capabilities of today's traffic, it is important that chaff deployment systems be simple to maintain and operate.
The Air Force traffic chaff deployers are square. The Navy chief chaff deployers are cylinders. The Air Force system has a divided section. The cartridges are divided in half so that they can just supply two separate charges from one cartridge. The Navy system has never been able to provide the same functionality is the Air Force system. There is the need for a system that is very robust and simple to install. This prevents an untrained technician from improper installation of the chaff deployer.
Because of the inter-operability and variety of potential configurations with the AN/ALE-47, many different types of military vehicles aerial vehicles use the AN/ALE-47 as a chaff to pull your period with this configuration, and operator may change the chaff, circuit board interface within the chaff deployer and the operating instructions for operating the chaff deployer. This enables the AN/ALE-47 to adapt to a variety of different scenarios.
Recent improvements for payload output, configuration and particle size have resulted in improved efficiency and performance of payloads in air expendable countermeasure decoys. As a result, the amount of chaff necessary for a particular mission has reduced significantly. The result of recent efficiency improvements is that a doubling of the effect occurs with the newly designed chaff deployment systems.
The US Air Force currently utilizes a RR-180 dual cartridge payload system which has free volume for payload totaling 2.5 cubic inches for each dual payload. The RR-180 payload cartridge uses the BBU-48 initiator which has an electrical circuit that provides for two voltage coded firing pulses to detonate two 1083 squibs. The Air Force dispenser connector system inherently provides the correct voltage polarity for the dual squib.
A squib is a miniature explosive device used in military applications. It resembles a tiny stick of dynamite, both in appearance and construction, although with considerably less explosive power. Squibs consist of two electrical leads which are separated by a plug of insulating material, a small bridge wire or electrical resistance heater, and a bead of heat-sensitive chemical composition in which the bridge wire is embedded. Squibs can be used for generating mechanical force, or to provide pyrotechnic effects for both film and live theatrics. Squibs can be used for shattering or propelling a variety of materials.
The Navy dispenser connector system does not provide for mechanical squib orientation for correct voltage polarity. The Navy's RR-129 single payload cartridge has a free volume for payload totaling 6.6 cubic inches. If approximately 0.6 cubic inches are allowed for wall material this would permit the Navy RR-129 cartridge to have 3.0 cubic inches for each dual payload which is significantly larger than each of the RR-180 dual cartridge payloads. The RR-129 single payload cartridge is cylindrical whereas the Army and Air Force use square prism shaped payloads. The RR-129 utilizes concentric electrical contacts that do not provide clocking or keying unlike the RR-180 cartridge. The Army and Air Force have dual chaff payload cartridges (RR-180) and the Navy does not (RR-129). The dispensers for the three services are very similar however the dispenser cartridges for the Navy are unique and have different requirements than the other two services.
Currently there is no way to utilize a dual cartridge payload with an existing single payload cartridge system without an expensive retrofit of a large amount of aircraft.
The disclosed subject matter helps to avoid these and other problems.
In essence, the present disclosure provides a squib system that can be installed by a technician to provide enhance chaff deployment properties and functionality using the existing form factor of the AN/ALE-47 system that exist on many aircraft throughout the military the US military.
The subject matter of the present disclosure includes not only chaff, but other devices or instruments for achieving particularly important tactical objectives. This may include, cutting objects and other things that may be deployed in different scenarios depending on the needs of the operational situation.